Archive for the 'New Stuff' Category

It’s been a while since I uploaded a post here on Korean Insight. I apologize for the delay on updates. Lately, I have been focusing more on my other blog, or a “portal” concentrated on Korean online game sector.

Korea Game Watch began with the idea that there is a need for media that works as a bridge between Korean game developers and foreign publishers/distributors that want to export/import games abroad. Despite the huge popularity of Korean online MMORPGs and FPS in the global game market, there has not been a “total” media service that provides quick updates on Korean game industry to foreigners. For now, we are focusing more on our role as a news outlet (the site is in its beta stage now), but we plan to gradually expand our services in the upcoming future, providing services that incorporate professional insights and information. Some of the services we are preparing to launch include market research data, in-depth market analyses, feature articles, exclusive interviews with development studios, and a comprehensive overview and breakdown of game publishers and developers in Korea. Here is an introductory word of note from Korea Game Watch.

About

Korea Game Watch captures the live images of Korean online games, their developers and the entire market for investors, companies and media overseas. This site also services professional market research and bridges business affiliation for clients outside Korea.

Since the success of Nexon’s “The Kingdom of the Wind” in 1996, Korea’s online game market has developed atop wide and solid Internet infrastructure. Thereupon, a spectrum of game genres, from MMORPG to web games, has been favored and feedbacked by a number of users. As a part of this rapid growth in game industry, a unique “e-Sports” culture has evolved, thanks to such foreign games as Starcraft. Especially, recent advancement in worldwide broadband system allows Korean online games stand unchallenged in global markets, especially in China and Japan.

Until recently, however, language barrier has blocked business entities abroad from gaining insights on Korea’s dynamic market, company information, connection with Korean developers or publishers, and communication on business promotion.

Korea Game Watch is now here to jump over those limits. Korea Game Watch will cooperate with potential partners in their market entries and participation in game conferences or events.

To continue with our last post and give a preview on what will be our next post, I will briefly explain how the launch of KMI consortium will impact the overall telecom landscape in Korea.

(LTE and WiBro Evolution/WiMax Evolution are now the two prospective global standards for fourth generation mobile technology)

How will the arrival of a fourth MNO affect the telecom landscape?
Regarding this, we have extracted an excerpt from one of our previous blog posts about the very first MVNO in Korea:

With KT launching its first MVNO services, which are not yet complete MVNOs themselves in that they only offer either data usage service or voice call service, the idea of a fourth MNO in Korea seems to be gradually turning into reality. Soon, mobile phone users in Korea will have more options to choose from, compared to when they had only three choices: SK Telecom, KT, or LG U+. In addition, the advent of KMI (Korea Mobile Internet), a MNO that will be based on mobile WiMAX network and one that will generate many other MVNOS there forth, is imminent as well.

Well, in other words, with more choices for consumers, no more oligarchy among three MNOs. No more unreasonable price plans or phone bills. The more MNOs or MVNOs there are, the greater the public good, the more consumer benefits. One thing to take into notice, though, is the saturated telecom market. Regarding this, the Telcos will have to find their own ways of survival out of the market congestion, whether they be an adoption of a 4G mobile technology, such as LTE, or a B2B strategy that goes beyond the present telecom service.

Their “beyond telecom” survival strategies for the saturated telecom market can be found here:

In our next post, we will deal with how SKT, KT, and LG U+ are propelling their own 4G mobile technology strategies against the rise of MVNOs and KMI. After all, as KMI will be utilizing the WiBro network, MVNOs generated from KMI will have an edge over the MNOs of present 3G networks in terms of data service. Thus, it’s about time that the rest three MNOs started propelling their 4G technology development. In addition, we will also take a look at the ways in which KMI should differentiate itself from other MNOs to reap success in the market, and how these changes will affect the telecom industry.

Korea Telecom announced yesterday that it is opening up its network to MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) and launching MVNO services for the first time in Korea. KT has partnered with “Entaz” (http://www.entaz.com), a mobile contents provider, and with “Free Telecom” and “Evergreen Mobile,” both of which are prepaid service providers. KT will open its mobile network to these selected MVNOs so that they can utilize KT’s network infrastructure to offer inexpensive data and voice services, especially to consumers within a niche market.

(source: JoongAng Daily)

Entaz, Free Telecom, and Evergreen Mobile

Entaz has a mobile portal service called “Free Mobile Town” that provides various contents including mobile game, cartoon, photobook, and ebook services. As Entaz will be taking advantage of KT’s low wholesale rates for data service, consumers will be able to access “Free Mobile Town” contents with no charge for mobile data service itself. While Entaz is utilizing KT’s network for data usage service, the other two are using the network for a prepaid voice call service; “Free Telecom” and “Ever Green Mobile” are targeting foreigners or short-term users, to whom they will offer their services at a low rate thanks to KT’s MVNO policies that aim to create a mobile ecosystem.

The first MVNO service in Korea?

It is only recently (March, 2010) that the Korean government passed a bill allowing the leasing of mobile networks, or MVNO business in the country. Previously, MVNOs were not allowed, and the Korean telecom market was fully dominated by the three MNOs, creating a huge market barrier for new entrants. The advent of MVNO companies is expected to work for the benefit of consumers by driving accelerated price competition into the market. By September 23rd, KCC (Korea Communications Commission) will prepare a complete set of guidelines and regulations for MVNO services. Once the guidelines are out, many changes are bound to take place as SKT, currently holding over a half of the market share, will be legally obliged to open its network, and as other companies, such as Onse Telecom and KCT (Korea Cable Telecom: a consortium of seven cable operators providing VoIP services throughout Korea) have demonstrated their willingness to start a MVNO business.

A fourth MNO in Korea

With KT launching its first MVNO services, which are not yet complete MNOs themselves in that they only offer either data usage service or voice call service, the idea of a fourth MNO in Korea seems to be gradually turning into reality. Soon, mobile phone users in Korea will have more options to choose from, compared to when they had only three choices: SK Telecom, KT, or LG U+. In addition, the advent of KMI (Korea Mobile Internet), a MNO that will be based on mobile WiMAX network and one that will generate many other MVNOS there forth, is imminent as well. (more about KMI at an upcoming entry) It will be interesting to see how such factors will play out in Korea’s telecom market. Meanwhile, let’s wait to see a myriad number of MVNOs rolling out starting from next year.